Touch screen panel

ABSTRACT

Provided is a touch screen panel including: a touch panel, which includes a plurality of transparent electrodes for sensing an electrical signal generated from a contact area, and has at least one hole; and a conductive member provided at a peripheral part of the at least one hole in order to form an electrical connection between the transparent electrodes electrically separated by one or more holes formed in the touch panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to PCT Application No.PCT/KR2018/009969, having a filing date of Aug. 29, 2018, based on KR10-2017-0113066, having a filing date of Sep. 5, 2017, the entirecontents both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The following relates to a touch screen panel, and more particularly, toa touch screen panel which allows a touch recognition operation to benormally performed even when a hole is formed in a touch panel providedin the touch screen panel.

BACKGROUND

A touch screen panel is a device which is mounted on an upper surface ofa display unit of an electronic device to execute a command touched anddesignated by a user and is used in various electronic devices such asautomated teller machines (ATMs), mobile phones, game machines, and thelike.

Methods of implementing a touch screen panel may be largely divided intoresistive film methods and capacitive methods according to operationmethods. A resistive film method (using a resistive touch screen) refersto a method of sensing a voltage change caused by layers being incontact with each other by a touch pressure, and a capacitance method(using a projected capacitive (PCAP) touch screen) refers to a method ofsensing a capacitance change generated during touch and transmitting anelectrical signal. A touch screen panel implemented in the capacitancemethod includes a transparent electrode pattern formed of a transparentconductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and coupled to a backsurface of a cover glass to sense a touch, a silver paste electrodewhich is coupled to an edge of a transparent electrode layer andtransmits an electrical signal to a control unit, and a liquid-crystaldisplay panel for displaying an image.

Meanwhile, the touch screen panel is also being applied to a gamesystem. In order to install a manipulation button in the game system orto secure an aesthetic sense of design, it is necessary to form a holein a touch panel provided in the touch screen panel. In this case, thetouch panel of the touch screen panel implemented in the conventionalcapacitance method may recognize the user's touch manipulation usingelectrode channels disposed in an X-axis direction and electrodechannels disposed in a Y-axis direction, which are arranged in alattice. Accordingly, due to the hole formation, an area may begenerated in which the user's touch manipulation cannot be recognized.

Referring to an example illustrated in FIG. 1, when a circular hole isgenerated in a touch panel, touch non-sensing areas are generated asillustrated in FIG. 1 and electrical signals generated in the touchnon-sensing areas are not transmitted to a controller integrated circuit(IC) so that coordinates for an area in which a touch is generatedcannot be obtained. Accordingly, software such as an application to becontrolled according to touch manipulation may not be controlled.

Background art of embodiments of the present invention is disclosed inKorean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2009-0015414 (Published onFeb. 12, 2009).

SUMMARY

An aspect relates to a touch screen panel in which a touch non-sensingarea, which is generated when a predetermined hole is formed in a touchpanel, is eliminated and thus a touch may be normally recognizedregardless of whether the hole is formed in the touch panel.

One aspect of embodiments of the present invention provides a touchscreen panel including a touch panel including a plurality oftransparent electrodes for sensing an electrical signal generated in atouch area and having one or more holes formed therein, and a conductivemember provided at a peripheral part of the one or more holes in orderto electrically connect the transparent electrodes electricallyseparated by the one or more holes formed in the touch panel.

The touch panel may include a first electrode layer having one or morefirst electrode lines which electrically connect the plurality oftransparent electrodes in a first direction, and a second electrodelayer provided below the first electrode layer and having one or moresecond electrode lines which electrically connect the plurality oftransparent electrodes in a second direction orthogonal to the firstdirection.

The conductive member may be formed to electrically connect the firstelectrode lines disconnected by the hole formed in the first electrodelayer and electrically connect the second electrode lines disconnectedby the hole formed in the second electrode layer.

The conductive member may be formed of silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) at theperipheral part of each of the one or more holes.

The touch screen panel may be mounted on a display device for a gamesystem and may further include a cover glass unit provided above thetouch panel and having one or more holes formed in an area correspondingto an area in which the one or more holes of the touch panel are formed,and a display panel which is provided below the touch panel and outputsa video image through the cover glass unit and a manipulation button,wherein the manipulation button is provided in the one or more holes,which are formed in the touch panel and the cover glass unit, tomanipulate the game system.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a touch non-sensingarea can be eliminated using a conductive member provided at aperipheral part of a hole formed in a touch panel to allow a touch to benormally recognized regardless of whether the hole is formed in thetouch panel. Further, when a touch screen panel according to embodimentsof the present invention is applied to a game system, a manipulationbutton of the game system can be installed in the hole area, therebyimproving the functionality and securing an aesthetic sense of design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference tothe following figures, wherein like designations denote like members,wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram for describing touch non-sensing areasgenerated by a hole formed in a conventional touch panel;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a coupling relationshipbetween a touch panel and a conductive member in a touch screen panelaccording to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram for describing a stacked structure of acover glass unit, a touch panel, and a display panel and directions ofelectrode lines of first and second electrode layers of the touch panelin the touch screen panel according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of electricallyconnecting first and second electrode lines by a conductive member inthe touch screen panel according to embodiments of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram for describing a stacked structure of thecover glass unit, the touch panel, and the display panel in a state inwhich a hole is formed in the touch screen panel according toembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a touch screen panel according to embodiments of thepresent invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In this process, thicknesses of lines, sizes of components,and the like illustrated in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarityand convenience of description. In addition, some terms which will bedescribed below are defined in consideration of functions in embodimentsof the present invention and meanings may vary depending on, forexample, a user or operator's intentions or customs. Therefore, themeanings of these terms should be interpreted based on the scopethroughout this specification.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a coupling relationshipbetween a touch panel and a conductive member in a touch screen panelaccording to embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 3 is anexemplary diagram for describing a stacked structure of a cover glassunit, a touch panel, and a display panel and directions of electrodelines of first and second electrode layers of the touch panel in thetouch screen panel according to embodiments of the present invention,FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of electricallyconnecting first and second electrode lines by a conductive member inthe touch screen panel according to embodiments of the presentinvention, and FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram for describing a stackedstructure of the cover glass unit, the touch panel, and the displaypanel in a state in which a hole is formed in the touch screen panelaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the touch screen panel according to embodiments ofthe present invention may include a touch panel 10 and a conductivemember 20.

The touch panel 10 includes a plurality of transparent electrodes forsensing an electrical signal generated in an area, in which a touchoccurs due to a user, that is, a touch area, and has one or more holes.In the present embodiment, the touch panel 10 is implemented using atransparent conductive film to function as a touch sensor thatrecognizes a user's touch.

The touch panel 10 is formed in a structure in which a first electrodelayer 11 and a second electrode layer 13 are vertically stacked. One ormore first electrode lines are formed in the first electrode layer 11 toelectrically connect the plurality of transparent electrodes in a firstdirection. The second electrode layer 13 is disposed below the firstelectrode layer 11, and one or more second electrode lines are formed inthe second electrode layer 13 to electrically connect the plurality oftransparent electrodes in a second direction orthogonal to the firstdirection. The first electrode line formed in the first electrode layer11 functions as a Tx electrode line, that is, a driving line, and thesecond electrode line formed in the second electrode layer 13 functionsas an Rx electrode line, that is, a sensing line.

Meanwhile, the plurality of transparent electrodes of each of the firstelectrode layer 11 and the second electrode layer 13 may be formed ofany one material among indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO),and indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO).

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first electrode layer 11 and thesecond electrode layer 13 may be coupled through an optical clearadhesive (OCA), and the touch panel 10 (the first electrode layer 11thereof) and a cover glass unit 30 to be described below may also becoupled through an OCA.

The touch panel 10 senses an electrical signal generated in the toucharea through the transparent electrodes of each of the first electrodelayer 11 and the second electrode layer 13, and a control unit (acontroller integrated circuit (IC), not illustrated) converts anelectrical analog signal transmitted from the touch panel 10 into adigital signal that is generated in the form of coordinates of the toucharea in which a touch by a user occurs. A software driver (notillustrated) receives the digital signal, that is, the coordinates ofthe touch area, from the control unit to control an operation ofsoftware.

Meanwhile, when the touch screen panel is applied to the game system asdescribed above, one or more holes may be formed in the touch panel 10to install a manipulation button in the game system or to secure anaesthetic sense of design. When the hole is formed in the touch panel10, the first electrode line formed in the first electrode layer 11 andthe second electrode line formed in the second electrode layer 13 aredisconnected by the formed hole, and thus a touch non-sensing area isgenerated in which it is impossible to recognize the user's touch.Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to electrically connectthe transparent electrodes that are electrically separated by the one ormore holes formed in the touch panel 10, a configuration is adopted inwhich the conductive member 20 is provided at a peripheral part of thehole. Although an example in which a circular hole is formed isillustrated in FIG. 2, the shape of the hole formed in the touch panel10 is not limited to a specific shape.

The conductive member 20 may be formed at the peripheral part of the oneor more holes formed in the touch panel 10, as illustrated in FIG. 3, soas to connect the first electrode lines disconnected by the hole formedin the first electrode layer 11 and to connect the second electrodelines disconnected by the hole formed in the second electrode layer 13.Here, the peripheral part of the hole may refer to an edge area (e.g.,an inner side surface of the hole) of the hole for electricallyconnecting the first electrode lines disconnected by the hole andelectrically connecting the second electrode lines disconnected by thehole.

Specifically, one or more first electrode lines may be formed in thefirst electrode layer 11. For example, in a case in which a total of Nfirst electrode lines from a 1^(st)-1 electrode line to a 1^(st)-Nelectrode line are formed in the first electrode layer 11, theconductive member 20 may be formed to electrically connect the firstelectrode lines each disconnected by the hole. That is, the conductivemember 20 may be formed to electrically connect 1^(st)-1 electrode linesdisconnected by the hole, electrically connect 1^(st)-2 electrode linesdisconnected by the hole, and electrically connect 1^(st)-N electrodelines disconnected by the hole. The same method as the method ofelectrically connecting the first electrode lines may also be applied toa structure of electrically connecting the second electrode linesdisconnected by the hole.

Accordingly, when a hole is formed in the touch panel 10 as illustratedin FIGS. 4 and 5, a first electrode line A (or B) formed at a left sideof the hole may be electrically connected to a first electrode line A(or B) formed at a right side of the hole through an electrical bypasspath provided by the conductive member 20, and a second electrode line C(or D) formed at an upper side of the hole may be electrically connectedto a second electrode line C (or D) formed at a lower side of the holethrough an electrical bypass path provided by the conductive member 20.

The conductive member 20 may be formed of silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) atthe peripheral part of the hole in order to electrically connect thefirst and second electrode lines. However, embodiments of the presentinvention is not limited thereto, and the conductive member 20 may beformed of a conductive metal material capable of electrically connectingthe first and second electrode lines.

Meanwhile, the touch screen panel according to the present embodimentmay further include the cover glass unit 30 provided in the touch panel10, which is included in a general touch screen panel, and a displaypanel 40 provided below the touch panel 10 to output a video image. Thedisplay panel 40 may include a liquid-crystal display (LCD), alight-emitting diode (LED), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic LED(OLED), or the like.

Further, the touch screen panel according to the present embodiment maybe mounted on a display device for a game system. In this case, thecover glass unit 30 may have one or more holes formed in an area (i.e.,an area of the cover glass unit 30 corresponding to the area in whichthe hole of the touch panel 10 is formed when the cover glass unit 30and the touch panel 10 are stacked) corresponding to the area in whichthe one or more holes of the touch panel 10 are formed.

That is, a manipulation button for manipulating a game system may beprovided in a hole which is formed in the touch panel 10 and the coverglass unit 30 as illustrated in FIG. 5. That is, the manipulation buttonof the game system may be installed in an area of the hole, therebyimproving the functionality of the game system and securing an aestheticsense of design. Further, the display panel 40 may output the videoimage using not only the cover glass unit 30 but also the manipulationbutton. (To this end, a structure of a manipulation button fordisplaying a video image on the manipulation button by the display panel40 may be designed in advance.) Accordingly, a separate display panel 40for outputting a separate image to be displayed on the manipulationbutton is not required, and thus a cost of the game system may bereduced, and the user convenience may be improved by providing a largerdisplay screen to the user.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by eliminating the touchnon-sensing area using the conductive member provided at the peripheralpart of the hole formed in the touch panel, a touch may be normallyrecognized regardless of whether the hole is formed in the touch panel.When the touch screen panel according to embodiments of the presentinvention is applied to the game system, the manipulation button of thegame system may be installed in the hole area, thereby improving thefunctionality of the game system and securing an aesthetic sense ofdesign.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form ofpreferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood thatnumerous additional modifications and variations could be made theretowithout departing from the scope of the invention.

For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or“an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and“comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements. The mention of a“unit” or a “module” does not preclude the use of more than one unit ormodule.

1. A touch screen panel comprising: a touch panel including a pluralityof transparent electrodes for sensing an electrical signal generated ina touch area and having one or more holes formed therein; and aconductive member provided at a peripheral part of the one or more holesin order to electrically connect transparent electrodes electricallyseparated by the one or more holes formed in the touch panel.
 2. Thetouch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the touch panel includes: a firstelectrode layer having one or more first electrode lines whichelectrically connect the plurality of transparent electrodes in a firstdirection; and a second electrode layer provided below the firstelectrode layer and having one or more second electrode lines whichelectrically connect the plurality of transparent electrodes in a seconddirection orthogonal to the first direction.
 3. The touch screen panelof claim 2, wherein the conductive member is formed to electricallyconnect the first electrode lines disconnected by the hole formed in thefirst electrode layer and electrically connect the second electrodelines disconnected by the hole formed in the second electrode layer. 4.The touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the conductive member isformed of silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) at the peripheral part of each ofthe one or more holes.
 5. The touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein thetouch screen panel is mounted on a display device for a game system, andthe touch screen panel further includes: a cover glass unit providedabove the touch panel and having one or more holes formed in an areacorresponding to an area in which the one or more holes of the touchpanel are formed; and a display panel which is provided below the touchpanel and outputs a video image through the cover glass unit and amanipulation button to manipulate the game system, wherein themanipulation button is provided in the one or more holes formed in thetouch panel and the cover glass unit.